Is registering really so expensive? What country to consider?

[mnschwarz]

Hi guys,
I’ve just purchased a Beneteau 523 in my personal name and need to get her registered soon. I’m an Australian citizen but live in Panama. I can’t do Aus as I’m not a resident so looked at Panama. The quotes I’ve had are pushing US$3k in total. I thought Panama was a cheap ‘flag of convenience’ registration but I’m not seeing that.

If I’m spending that kind of money I’d rather a red ensign so looking at maybe Isle of Man? I’m a bit lost with all the options now to be honest though. And most I’ve found online are clearly scams. The intention is to live aboard and circumnavigate slowly if that helps.

Can anyone share what a fair registration price/process would be and perhaps recommend a country(or agent)? Or am I just being cheap and $3k is the going Panama rate these days? Cheers!

[wholybee]

As an Australian citizen are you really not permitted to get Australian documentation just because you don't live there? That seems strange, maybe someone else from Australia can offer advice.

As a point of comparison, in the US is it $133 initial, and $26 per year to renew. No agent needed, the forms are online. Only available to US citizens, but sometimes a foreign national will form an LLC in the US to get around that, less than $500, but you might consider an agent at that point for the added complexity.

[mnschwarz]

I’ve been told I need to be a resident (not citizen) to flag in Australia. But maybe I've been mis-informed. I know thats the case for a driving license though (which includes our boat license) so I just took it as fact. Maybe I need to look in to it further… Would certainly be the easier option!

[AndyOz]

Polish is a decent option. Langkawi also.

[chrisr]

to register in australia you need to be either an australian citizen OR a permanent resident - not both

have a look at amsa website https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-oper...ce=chatgpt.com

its actually rather complicated - expecially when overseas - but do-able if you throw enough money at it

in our case it was easier and much cheaper to register in germany

cheers,

[Pawelg]

I’m from Poland and generally all the gov offices sucks over there .. but there are good exceptions and boat registration is one of them. It’s cheap! The process is online and costs around 20€ for boat not exceeding 24m. It’s one time, no additional yearly fees or inspection requirements. Just 20€ for all.

I saw quite a few companies which act as proxy and they charge around 100$ for the registration. That might be a good option for you

[edlithgow]

When I looked into this a long while ago Netherlands seemed a good option, but I cant remember details now, and didn't actually do it.

[miru71]

Originally Posted by Pawelg

I’m from Poland and generally all the gov offices sucks over there .. but there are good exceptions and boat registration is one of them. It’s cheap! The process is online and costs around 20€ for boat not exceeding 24m. It’s one time, no additional yearly fees or inspection requirements. Just 20€ for all.

I saw quite a few companies which act as proxy and they charge around 100$ for the registration. That might be a good option for you

Cześć Paweł!

I'm also from Poland and have some doubts about foreigners registering yachts in Poland. I described it here in the last paragraph:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3976344

[Tin Tin]

If you have an Australian Passport, register it in Australia. It is not that expensive (AUD$1554 once), the AMSA staff are helpful if you can't follow the paperwork trail. You need to pay for the courier to receive your Australian registration document. You will need proof of purchase such as a bill of sale etc. and maybe some other documents such as builders certificate -hopefully the paperwork that came with the boat has this stuff. You will need to cancel the registration if it is with another country and that will usually require previous owners cooperation( if you bought through a broker this should have been taken care of).

[Username25]

Red Ensign on Part 1.

[leecea]

If you flag in another country, will the boat require a cruising permit for Panama?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by leecea

If you flag in another country, will the boat require a cruising permit for Panama?

Exactly, the $3k may bee a good deal as you will never have to deal with cruising permits anymore

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by mnschwarz

Hi guys,
I’ve just purchased a Beneteau 523 in my personal name and need to get her registered soon. I’m an Australian citizen but live in Panama. I can’t do Aus as I’m not a resident so looked at Panama. The quotes I’ve had are pushing US$3k in total. I thought Panama was a cheap ‘flag of convenience’ registration but I’m not seeing that.

If I’m spending that kind of money I’d rather a red ensign so looking at maybe Isle of Man? I’m a bit lost with all the options now to be honest though. And most I’ve found online are clearly scams. The intention is to live aboard and circumnavigate slowly if that helps.

Can anyone share what a fair registration price/process would be and perhaps recommend a country(or agent)? Or am I just being cheap and $3k is the going Panama rate these days? Cheers!

Personal (to a person rather than a company_ registration costs vary from zero about USD 100 depending on your state. In some countries the fee is once in a lifetime, in other countries it is a fee paid annually (etc.)


The fee you mentioned is for a company+ registration that then own the boat. Done often for tax avoidance reasons, etc. Normal people register normal boats in their home country. The least headache and paperwork. Also most transparent.


The money you mention in Panama - if indeed this is inperson registration - then what can I say this is Panama and I would expect very high fees on any thing a foreigner does there. This is their socio-economic model in place. No point in fighting the tide.


Register in AUS, if you are AUS.


barnakiel

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Username25

Red Ensign on Part 1.

Getting a tonnage survey will be difficult and expensive in Panama

[Montanan]

https://www.afma.gov.au/fisheries-management/declaring-foreign-boat-be-australian-boat#referenced-section-3

What is the legal definition of an Australian boat?

A boat is defined as an “Australian boat” if it satisfies any one of the following 3 conditions (as set out under subsection 4(1) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991):

The boat is operated from Australia and is wholly owned by an Australian resident or Australian company and was built in Australia;
OR

The boat is listed on the Australian Shipping Register, except if it is owned by a foreign resident and under a demise charter1 arrangement;
OR

The boat has been declared by AFMA to be an Australian boat under subsection 4(2) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991.
If a boat does not satisfy any of these 3 conditions, it is regarded as a foreign boat under the Fisheries Management Act 1991.

1Demise charter means "the demise, letting, hire or delivery of the ship to the charterer under a charter party, by virtue of which the charterer has whole possession and control of the ship (including the right to appoint the master and crew of the ship)." (Shipping Registration Act 1981)

Can my boat be listed on the Australian Shipping Registry?

The Australian Shipping Register is administered by the Shipping Registration Office under the Shipping Registration Act 1981.

A boat may be listed on the Australian Shipping Register (or “Australian flagged”) if:

more than half the shares in it are owned by Australian nationals; or
it is less than 12 metres in length overall and wholly owned or operated by Australian residents or by Australian nationals and residents together; or
it is on demise (bare boat) charter to an Australian based operator.
A foreign-owned boat that is chartered under non-demise arrangements is not permitted to be registered.

Applications to list a boat on the Australian Shipping Register must be submitted to the Australian Shipping Registration Office in the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. For further details on the application process, please contact the Australian Shipping Registration Office.